History of the City of Leipzig

A long and eventful past

Leipzig can look back on a long and historically notable past. The town came into existence about 850 years ago at the intersection between the most important trade routes. Many significant events will always be associated with the name of Leipzig.

For example, the Reformation began in 1539 with Martin Luther's sermon in St. Thomas Church, and the decisive battle against Napoleon also took place in Leipzig in 1813. And the autumn of 1989, which was recorded in history as the Peaceful Revolution, saw key events take place in and around St. Nicholas Church.

There is much to discover in Leipzig - its university, for example: one of the oldest in Germany, where Richard Wagner, Karl Liebknecht and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe studied, or that the first daily newspaper in the world was published here. And every year Leipzig is the scene for many festivals, events and trade fairs, attracting millions of visitors to the city.